A design philosophy that prioritizes human motivation over functional efficiency
Core Idea: Human-Focused Design is a design approach that optimizes for human motivation within a system rather than purely functional efficiency, recognizing that people aren't simply cogs in a machine but complex beings driven by various psychological factors.
Key Elements
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Key principles
- Prioritizes what motivates people rather than just what gets the job done
- Recognizes human psychological needs and desires as central to effective design
- Focuses on creating engaging experiences that people want to participate in
- Stands in contrast to "Function-Focused Design" which prioritizes efficiency
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Historical context
- Emerged as a response to traditional design approaches that treated users as rational actors who would perform actions simply because they were required to
- Yu-kai Chou identified that the gaming industry was the first to master Human-Focused Design
- Represents an evolution in design thinking that incorporates behavioral psychology
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Current understanding
- Recognized as fundamental to successful gamification
- Requires understanding the core psychological drivers of human behavior
- Views engagement and motivation as design problems that can be systematically addressed
- Implemented through frameworks like the Octalysis Framework
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Applications
- Product design and development
- Workplace motivation and productivity improvement
- Education and learning environments
- Health and wellness behavior change
- Customer engagement and loyalty programs
Additional Connections
- Broader Context: User-Centered Design (a related approach that puts users at the center)
- Applications: Gamification (practical application of Human-Focused Design principles)
- See Also: Intrinsic vs Extrinsic Motivation (fundamental concepts in Human-Focused Design)
References
- Chou, Y. (n.d.). Actionable Gamification: Beyond Points, Badges, and Leaderboards.
- Coonradt, C. (1984). The Game of Work.
#design-philosophy #human-motivation #gamification #user-experience #behavioral-design
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